Otis Blackwell Quotes

The only thing I have no control over is the politics that goes on within the record company. It's always been the same, but it's far tougher now, because record companies are run by financial people; before, they were run by creative people.

In a sense, the music business and I haven't always been the best of bedfellows. Artists often have to fight their corner. Your music goes through these filters of record labels and media, and you're hoping you'll find someone who'll help you get your work into the world.

I don't believe in the philosophy of stumbling across hit records.

I don't get involved in record label politics.

The whole industry evolves around a great song.

I actually quite like promo, which is quite odd for an artist, but recording's not the easiest thing.

Yeah, man I am going to be writing a book soon. The reality of being in a rock band in the music business'.

The people who are making money are the ones who are writing and singing their own songs.

Most artists, you know, you spend their entire lives learning how to play music and write songs, and they don't really know how the music business works.

When you're a songwriter, you don't have control over which songs get heard and which ones don't.

I think Sam Smith's dad got a huge loan or something to help his career. Those things can help artists get attention, but I guess my song 'Say You Won't Let Go' proved it's about the song.

I guess if I'd have more of a producer attitude, maybe I'd sell more records. But I'm basically a songwriter.

I thought that the music industry was going to be pretty easy - getting features and stuff - and everyone was going to be nice. But I realized that it's really, really hard to get features.

As an artist, you can't expect a producer to just bring you a record. If you walk in and say, 'I want Kanye West's 'Power,' it just doesn't work that way.

I've had offers to sign a record deal, but the people I've talked to have wanted to package me and have me meet with songwriters who've written stuff for Whitney Houston, that sort of thing. That's not at all my style.

When you work on an album for three and a half years, you're kind of ready for it to get out there. To have your songs reach people.

I basically was in charge of the Jackson 5 - all their creative, when it came down to the studio, and all their musical endeavors.

Do not let any record company disturb your creative flow. You are not writing for the record company. You're writing for the public.

Music can be so disturbing and frustrating. I mean the business side of it. The actual making music part is fun, but the business side of it is just so out of control, has nothing to do with anything.

I will always really work hard to write as much as I can, but I also love sitting back and waiting on those big Nashville songwriters to send me some great songs, too.

When the label came to me to say, 'would you like to do another record,' I said, 'Well I got these sixteen songs sitting here, so let's do it.' And that was pretty much it... I never stopped writing, it's just the way that the business is now; you just try to find a different model.

I'm not a hustler. I don't pitch songs. I don't ask people to write with me. It's not what I do.

Motown's policy was to build one act at a time or their favorites.

The reason I never wanted to sign with a big label was because I didn't want no one telling me how to make my music.

We've managed to have a long career that is still quite vibrant, yet we've never had to kow-tow to record companies who said we weren't commercial enough.